لَمّا سَكَتَ حَسِبتَ أَنَّكَ ناجِ

لَمّا سَكَتَ حَسِبتَ أَنَّكَ ناجِ

هَيهاتِ إِنّي كَالمَنونِ أُفاجي

هَيهاتِ إِنّي كَالمَنونِ أُفاجي

When I fell silent, you thought yourself safe.

When you fell silent, you thought you had confided in me

When I kept silent, you reckoned yourself safe,

Far from it! Like death, I strike by surprise.

Alas! Like unexpected events, I surprise

Far from it! Like sudden death, I strike without warning.

تَاللَهِ تَطمَعُ بِالسَلامَةِ بَعدَما

تَاللَهِ تَطمَعُ بِالسَلامَةِ بَعدَما

أَلقاكَ جَهلَكَ في يَدِ الأَمواجِ

أَلقاكَ جَهلَكَ في يَدِ الأَمواجِ

By God, do you hope for safety after

By Allah! You aspire for safety after

By God, do you hope for safety now that

Your ignorance cast you into the waves’ grasp?

Your ignorance cast you amidst the waves

Your ignorance has cast you into the grip of the waves?

إِن كانَ داخَلَكَ الغُرورُ فَإِنَّهُ

إِن كانَ داخَلَكَ الغُرورُ فَإِنَّهُ

ما اِنفَكَّ في البُسَطاء وَالسُذّاج

ما اِنفَكَّ في البُسَطاء وَالسُذّاج

If conceit has entered you, then surely it

If arrogance lies within you, it surely

If vanity has taken hold of your spirit,

Has always dwelt in the simple-minded and the gullible.

Did not cease amongst the naïve and simpletons

Know that it has always resided within the simple and the foolish.

إِنّي أَنا الأَسَدُ الهَصورُ بَسالَةً

إِنّي أَنا الأَسَدُ الهَصورُ بَسالَةً

وَيلٌ لِقَومٍ حاوَلوا إِحراجي

وَيلٌ لِقَومٍ حاوَلوا إِحراجي

Indeed, I am the lion, fierce in valor;

I am the ferocious lion, valiant in courage

I am the crushing lion in my valor;

Woe to those who tried to embarrass me!

Woe to those who attempted to embarrass me

Woe unto those who seek to provoke me.

حاوَلتَ أَن تَهتاجَني عَن مَربَضي

حاوَلتَ أَن تَهتاجَني عَن مَربَضي

لِتَنالَ ذِكراً خِبتَ يا ذا الراجي

لِتَنالَ ذِكراً خِبتَ يا ذا الراجي

You tried to rouse me from my lair

You tried to distract me from my lair

You sought to rouse me from my lair

To win renown—you failed, O hopeful one!

To gain renown, you failed o aspirant

To gain renown—but you have failed, O wishful one.

عارٌ إِذا أَنشَبتُ فيكَ مَخالِبي

عارٌ إِذا أَنشَبتُ فيكَ مَخالِبي

إِذ لَيسَ مِن خُلُقي اِفتِراسُ نِعاجِ

إِذ لَيسَ مِن خُلُقي اِفتِراسُ نِعاجِ

It would be shameful if I sank my claws into you,

It would be shameful if I sank my claws in you

It would be a disgrace if I sank my claws into you,

For it is not my nature to prey on ewes.

For it is not in my nature to prey on lambs

For it is not in my nature to prey upon sheep.

وَظَنَنتَ أَنَّكَ بالِغٌ شَأوي إِذا

وَظَنَنتَ أَنَّكَ بالِغٌ شَأوي إِذا

رُمتَ القَريضَ فَما ظَفِرتَ بِحاجِ

رُمتَ القَريضَ فَما ظَفِرتَ بِحاجِ

And you thought you could match my reach when

And you assumed you had reached my stature

You thought you could reach my stature when

You attempted verse—but you failed to attain your aim.

When you composed verse, but gained nothing o pilgrim

You attempted verse, yet achieved nothing of worth.

إِنَّ القَوافي كَالخَرائِدِ مِنعَةً

إِنَّ القَوافي كَالخَرائِدِ مِنعَةً

وَتَفوقُها في نَبذِ كُلِّ مُداجِ

وَتَفوقُها في نَبذِ كُلِّ مُداجِ

Indeed, rhymes are like secluded maidens in their unapproachability,

Rhymes are like fortified citadels

Truly, rhymes are as guarded as chaste maidens,

And surpass them in spurning every dissembler.

And excel in repelling all intruders

And surpass them in rejecting every fawning deceiver.

وَالشِعرُ تاجٌ لَو عَلِمت وَلَم تَكُن

وَالشِعرُ تاجٌ لَو عَلِمت وَلَم تَكُن

مِمَّن يَليقُ بِحَملِ هَذا التاجِ

مِمَّن يَليقُ بِحَملِ هَذا التاجِ

And poetry is a crown, if you but knew; and you were not

Poetry is a crown, if only you knew and were

Poetry is a crown, had you but known, yet you are not

Among those worthy to bear this crown.

Worthy of bearing such a crown

Among those fit to bear the weight of such a crown.

خُذها مُثَقَّفَةً إِذا وَقَعَت عَلى

خُذها مُثَقَّفَةً إِذا وَقَعَت عَلى

جَبَلٍ لَأُزعِجَ أَيَّما إِزعاجِ

جَبَلٍ لَأُزعِجَ أَيَّما إِزعاجِ

Take it, finely honed: if it fell upon

Grasp it cultured, if it falls on

Take these polished verses; were they to fall upon

A mountain, it would be shaken mightily.

A mountain, it would shake and disturb

A mountain, it would be shaken to its very core.

أَنا خَيرُ مَن قالَ القَوافِيَ مادِحاً

أَنا خَيرُ مَن قالَ القَوافِيَ مادِحاً

أَنا خَيرُ من قالَ القَوافِيَ هاجي

أَنا خَيرُ من قالَ القَوافِيَ هاجي

I am the best of those who utter rhymes in praise;

I am the best composer of rhymes in praise

I am the best who ever wove rhymes in praise,

I am the best of those who utter rhymes in satire.

I am the best composer of rhymes in censure

And I am the best who ever wove rhymes in scorn.

قَد كُنتُ أَزهُدُ في الهِجا لَو لَم يَكُن

قَد كُنتُ أَزهُدُ في الهِجا لَو لَم يَكُن

لَكَ يا مَريضَ العُجبِ خَيرُ عِلاجِ

لَكَ يا مَريضَ العُجبِ خَيرُ عِلاجِ

I would have shunned satire, had it not been

I would have avoided censure had it not been

I would have abstained from satire, were it not

The best remedy for you, O sufferer from vanity.

For you, o vain fool, it is the best remedy

The perfect cure for you, O patient sick with vanity.